LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, said they are planning “to step back” as senior members of the royal family, a stunning revelation that underscores the wish of the couple to forge a new path for the royals in the modern world.
A statement issued by Buckingham Palace said Wednesday the royal couple intend to become financially independent, shunning public support, to underpin their work on charities. It said they intend to “balance” their time between the U.K. and North America, where the 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex grew up.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the couple said in a statement. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support her majesty the queen."
Harry, 35, is a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and is sixth in line to the British throne.
Before marrying Harry in 2018, the duchess was the American actress known as Meghan Markle and a star of the TV show “Suits.” The royal couple has a baby son Archie, who was born in May 2019.
<i>Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa on September 25, 2019. / Photo Credit: Shutterstock</i>
Although as an actress and human rights advocate the duchess was accustomed to media attention before her marriage, she has made no secret of the fact that the transition to the level of celebrity faced by Britain's royal family was difficult.
Last year, Harry lashed out at the British media for its treatment of his wife, accusing the media of hounding her the way they did his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash while trying to elude paparazzi.
"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces," Harry said in the fall.
Neil Young urged Spotify employees to leave their jobs in his latest salvo against the platform and its CEO Daniel Ek for hosting "The Joe Rogan Experience." The call for resignations also came after a video compilation of Rogan using the n-word on his podcast was made public.
Jeff Zucker has resigned as CNN's president, writing in a memo he failed to disclose a romantic relationship with a colleague. Zucker admitted to the relationship, which he described as consensual, during the investigation into former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo's behavior. Seth Schachner, managing director of StratAmericas, joined Cheddar to discuss where does this abrupt resignation leaves the network.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Dr. Ashley Farmer, Historian, Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin & Author of "Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era", shines a spotlight on some of the women overlooked by history that had a profound influence on the American Civil Rights and Black Power Movements.
Katie Rainge-Briggs, Exhibition and Collections Manager, National Museum of African American Music, explores the deep influence of Black music and musicians on modern American Culture; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Beyond the Spotlight'.
Dr. Ashley Farmer, Historian, Associate Professor at University of Texas at Austin & Author of "Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era", joins Cheddar Reveals to shine a spotlight on some of the women overlooked by history that had a profound influence on the American Civil Rights and Black Power Movements.
Katie Rainge-Briggs, Exhibition and Collections Manager, National Museum of African American Music, joins Cheddar Reveals to explore the deep influence of Black music and musicians on modern American Culture.
Women's health company Organon will give its over 9,000 employees a paid day off on International Women's Day.
The move comes as the company aims to recognize the growing health inequities women have faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kevin Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Organon joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The pressure is on for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson - after his closest aides handed in their resignations this week.
It comes after a report found that 16 parties had taken place at Downing Street while Covid lockdown protocols were in place in the region. Ari Aramesh, Attorney & National Security/Foreign Policy Analyst joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
From 'The Dating Game' to 'Sexy Beasts' the world has always fallen in love with reality romance. Just in time for Valentine's Day, None Of The Above's J.D. Durkin takes us through a brief history of dating shows.
